Abstract
This chapter examines the English language in Ireland by looking both at the spread of English in relation to Irish from the 12th century onwards and at the changes which English has undergone in the context of language contact and bilingualism with Irish. The linguistic focus is largely on traditional dialects as described in the 19th and 20th centuries, yet attention is also paid to medieval Irish English and to more standardized forms of the contemporary language as evidenced in the International Corpus of English (ICE-Ireland). Structural evidence from syntax and phonology, as well as lexical development, suggests that Irish English shows a complex mix of influence from British English dialects, Scots, and Irish, as well as participating in linguistic standardization and occupying a position as a national variety of English which can be compared to other English varieties.
